Furnace front



.March 3, .1931.

.1. H. HUME 1,795,027 FURN E-FRONT Filed Jan. 4, 1930 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES HOWDEN HUME, OF LONDON, ENGLAND FURNACE FRONT 7 Application filed lanuary 4, 1930, Serial No. 418,552, and in Great Britain January 8, 1929.

This invention relates to furnace fronts for boiler furnaces adapted to be fired by exhaust gases from internal combustion engines with provision for firing by means of liquid fuel when such exhaust gases are not available.

For firing with liquid fuel there is fitted to the furnace front an oil fuel burner coaxial with an air director with which co- 10 operates an air valve movable relatively to the air director.

To permit of rapid change-over from one system of firing to the other, we fit to the air directora flange of large diameter which carries the quarl for use with liquid fuel, said flange and quarl being movable with the air director, so that, when the air director, flange and quarl are retracted, a wide opening for passage of exhaust gases into the furnace is provided.

Desirably the front plate is formed with a recess to house or protect the air director (whenretracted) against the action of the hot waste gases passing through the furnace front into the furnace.

The figure of the accompanying drawing is a vertical section illustrating a construction according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, 1 denotes a boiler furnace to the mouth of which is ap V plieda double-walled front 2 presenting. a passage 3 for supply of engine exhaust gases to the furnace. 4 denotes a cylindrical air director formed with the usual internal vanes f cooperating with the front edge of which air director is an air valve 4 telescopically mounted on a horizontal tube 5 which is sustained by the furnace front and through which may be inserted a liquid fuel burner (not shown). The air director 4 is provided with a large diameter external flange 6 on the inner face of which is disposed a quarl 7.

In operation, if the furnace is being fired by exhaust gases, the air director 4 and the valve 4 are located in retracted position as shown in chain-dotted linesso that they are housed in a recess 8 in the forward wall of the furnace front with the flange 6 abutting against said wall, the air director and valve being thus protected from the hot exhaust gases flowing to the furnace by way of the passage 3 ,and a large diameteropening 9 in the rear wall of the furnace front, said opening 9 being vacated by the quarl 7 in the retracted position of the air director. As shown, in'the retracted position of the air director and valve, the valve is seated upon the front edge of the air director. If the furnace is to be fired with liquid fuel, the air director is advanced to the position shown in full lines in the drawing so that the flange 6 abuts against the rear wall of the furnace front, the quarl 7 entering the opening 9. The valve 4: is advanced along with the air director and is then retracted therefrom to present a gap G between the front edge of the air director and the cooperating face of the valve, said gap permitting passage of air into the furnace by way of the air director.

A liquid fuel burner is inserted through the tube 5, a blind flange 10 being removed for this purpose.

For imparting axial movement to the air director 4 the flange 6 is conveniently fitted with long bolts, 11, extending through apertures in the forward wall of the furnace front and provided with handles, 12, operable from the stoke-hold, said bolts, in addition to being movable endwise to advance or to retract the air director, being also rotatable to lock the air director in advanced or in retracted position.

For imparting axial movement to the air valve 4 there is provided a draw handle 13 operable from the stoke-hold.

I claim 1. In combination with a double-walled furnace front, the rear wall presenting a furnace opening, a burner-receiving tube sustained by the forward wall of said furnace front, said tube extending axially of the furnace, an air director movable axially of said tube, said air director having a flange at its rear end, and a quarl carried by said flange and adapted to enter said furnace opening.

2. In combination with a double-walled furnace front, the rear wall presenting a fur- -nace opening, and the forward wall formed with a recess, a burner-receiving tube sus tained by said forward wall, said tube ex- 7 front, saidtube extending axially of-the fur tending axially of the furnace, an air director movable axially of said tube, said air di rector having a flange at its inner end, and a quarl carried by said flange and adapted in one position of said air director to enter said furnace opening, said air director adapted in another position to be housed in said recess: r v i 3. In combination With a double-Walled furnace front, the rear Wall presenting a fur,

'nace opening, aburner-receiving tube 'sus tained by the forward Wall of said furnace nace, an air director movable axially of said tube, said air director having a flange at its rearend, a quarl carried by said flange and adapted toentersaid furnacefopening, and njair valve co-operative with the opposite end-of said air director.

In testimony wnereof I have signedmy name to this specification.

"JAMES IHOWDEIBZI HUM 

